Abstract: Systems and methods include providing a virtual reality (“VR”) flight emulator system that simulates control, operation, and response of a vehicle. The flight emulator includes a control interface and a head-mounted display worn by a user. Motion, orientation, and/or forces experienced by the simulated vehicle are imparted to a user through a motion-control seat. Multiple flight emulators can be connected to a communication network, and a master flight emulator may teleport into a slave flight emulator in order to observe, overtake, override, and/or assume control of the slave flight emulator. Inputs made via the control interface of the master flight emulator or during playback of a pre-recorded training exercise or flight mission are translated into the control interface, head-mounted display, and motion-control seat of the slave flight emulator to provide real-time feedback to the user of the slave flight emulator.

Abstract: Systems and methods include providing a virtual reality (“VR”) flight emulator that simulates control, operation, and response of a vehicle. The flight emulator includes a control interface and a head-mounted display worn by a user. The user of the flight emulator can virtually teleport into a slave virtual or remote aircraft in order to assume control of the slave virtual or remote aircraft. Motion of, orientation of, and/or forces acting on the slave virtual or remote aircraft are imparted to a user through a plurality of galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) devices when the user of the flight emulator is virtually teleported into the slave virtual or remote aircraft. The flight emulator can be connected through a communication network to a plurality of other flight emulators. The flight emulator can also be installed in an aircraft and connected through the communication network to a plurality of other remote aircraft.

Abstract: Systems and methods include providing a virtual reality (“VR”) flight teleport system that include a master aircraft and a plurality of remote slave aircraft connected through a network. A flight emulator in the master aircraft allows a user in the master aircraft to “teleport” into a remote slave vehicle in order to observe and/or assume control of the remote slave aircraft. Motion of, orientation of, and/or forces acting on the remote stave vehicle are emulated to the user of the master vehicle through a pilot control interface, a motion-control seat, and a head-mounted display to provide real-time feedback to the user of the master aircraft. Inputs made via the pilot control interface of the flight emulator system in the master aircraft are transferred through the network into the flight control system of the remote slave vehicle to control operation of the remote slave vehicle.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to flight instrument warnings that are configured to automatically adjust a low airspeed warning band on an airspeed indicator based on available torque margin and radar altimeter height. Warnings may be presented on a primary flight display or on flight instruments when a low airspeed band is entered.

Abstract: A system and method configured to monitor aircraft flight performance data. The system includes a wireless transmitter in data communication with an avionics system of the aircraft, a portable wireless transceiver associated with the wireless transmitter, and a wireless database associated with the wireless transmitter. The method includes sensing flight performance data with the sensor, transmitting sensed flight performance data to the wireless transmitter, wirelessly transmitting the sensed flight performance data to the wireless database, and monitoring flight performance data with a display operably associated with the wireless database.

Abstract: A rotor system including a hub; a rim configured to rotate about the hub, the rim including an interior surface and an engagement surface; a plurality of rotor blades extending from the hub and coupled to the interior surface of the rim; and one or more outer drive gears disposed adjacent to the engagement surface of the rim; each of the one or more outer drive gears including a plurality of teeth for engaging the engagement surface of the rim; wherein the one or more outer drive gears are configured to rotate the rim such that the plurality of rotor blades rotates about the hub. Other aspects provide an aircraft rotor system and methods of operating an aircraft rotor system.

Abstract: Systems and methods of operating a tiltrotor aircraft include providing a control system that includes sensors and/or gauges that provide feedback regarding hub shear forces in rotor systems of the aircraft that produce aeroelastic instability known as whirl flutter. Feedback from the sensors and/or gauges is communicated to a flight control subsystem that includes an algorithm that provides a cascading set of responses to control whirl flutter and a failsafe that adjusts operational characteristics of the aircraft in response to the continuation or excitation of the whirl flutter.

Abstract: An intentionally activated frangible bonding system comprises a frangible adhesive, adhesive primer, composite material matrix, and/or the like, having a polydispersion of at least one additive spread throughout the frangible bonding material. The additive degrades a bond provided by the frangible bonding material, upon application of a specific energy to the frangible bonding material. An energy emitter is configured to selectively direct the specific energy toward a structure or assembly comprising components bonded by the frangible bonding material to degrade the frangible bonding material bonding the components for disassembly.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a liquid container for a motor vehicle, having the method steps: providing a wall, which is provided in order to delimit an interior chamber of the liquid container for receiving a liquid; providing a structure, which is provided in order to be arranged in order to reduce sloshing noises in the interior chamber of the liquid container, wherein the structure comprises a random arrangement of threads cross-linked with each other and wherein a plurality of the threads of the structure are integrally joined, at least in sections, to at least one or more additional threads of the structure, such that a substantially monolithic structure is formed; connecting the structure to the wall.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system for improved control of movement for adjusting position of an articulating aircraft seat. In an embodiment, a caliper brake engages a brake pad against a braking surface for stopping seat movement. The braking surface is linearly aligned with a desired direction of seat movement. A biasing mechanism maintains the brake pad against the braking surface to prevent movement of the seat. A release actuator counteracts the biasing mechanism for releasing the brake pad from the braking surface to allow seat movement.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a control manager is disposed between the rotor system and the flight control inceptor. The control manager is configured to receive control commands wirelessly from a ground control station, translate the control commands into one or more axes associated with the flight control inceptor, and transmit the translated control commands to the rotor system in place of the instructions received from the pilot via the flight control inceptor.

Abstract: An air/ground contact logic management system for use with fly-by-wire control systems in an aircraft. The system includes a first sensor configured to provide an output signal to determine when the aircraft is in a transition region. A logic management system is in communication with the first sensor and is configured to receive and process the output signal and classify a mode of the aircraft. A controller receives signal data from the logic management system and communicates with a control axis actuator to regulate a level of control authority provided to a pilot. The control authority is individually regulated within each integrator as a result of the individual landing gear states.

Abstract: A system for an aircraft includes a compressor for a vapor cycle cooling system (VCCS) for providing cabin air conditioning; an APU for mechanically driving the VCCS compressor; and a starter-generator-motor (SGM) apparatus operable in any of a starter mode, a generator mode, or a motor mode. The SGM apparatus includes: (i) a first coupling element for coupling the SGM apparatus to the APU such that, in the starter mode, the SGM apparatus is used in driving and starting the APU, (ii) a second coupling element for coupling the SGM apparatus to the VCCS compressor such that, in the motor mode, the SGM apparatus mechanically drives the VCCS compressor, and (iii) a set of electrical power terminals at which, in the generator mode, the SGM apparatus provides electrical output power for powering the aircraft electrical system (including the VCCS condenser fan and VCCS evaporator fans) and, in the starter mode and motor mode, the SGM apparatus receives electrical input power from an external electrical power source.

Abstract: A pylon assembly for a tiltrotor aircraft includes a rotor assembly operable to rotate between a generally vertical orientation, in a VTOL flight mode, and a generally horizontal orientation, in a forward flight mode, and having an intermediate orientation therebetween, in a conversion flight mode. The rotor assembly includes a proprotor operable to produce a slipstream. A wing extension, positioned outboard of the rotor assembly, has a minimal dimension and an outboard end. A winglet is coupled to the outboard end of the wing extension and has a minimal dimension. The wing extension and the winglet are operable to rotate generally with the rotor assembly such that the minimal dimensions of the wing extension and the winglet remain in the slipstream of the proprotor.

Abstract: A rotor assembly has a composite driveshaft extending between a transmission and a yoke for providing torque from the transmission to the yoke to cause rotation of the yoke and a plurality of rotor blade assemblies attached thereto. The rotor hub also has a composite static mast coupled to the yoke and a frame. The static mast being configured to carry the lift and thrust forces from the yoke to the frame.

Abstract: A propulsion and lift system of a tiltrotor aircraft includes a wing having an outboard end, a wing tip assembly having an inboard end, a fixed nacelle coupled to the wing tip assembly and a wing-nacelle splice assembly having inboard and outboard sides. The inboard side of the wing-nacelle splice assembly is coupled to the outboard end of the wing, and the outboard side of the wing-nacelle splice assembly is coupled to the inboard end of the wing tip assembly, thereby coupling the fixed nacelle to the wing.

Abstract: A vibration attenuating fluid mount with a partitioned compensator includes an inner member, an outer member, a flexible member having a castellated transition between a fluid passageway and at least one operating chamber. A membrane may be disposed in a volume compensator in fluid communication with one or more operating chambers. The inner member and outer member may be connected via a castellated connection, a swaged lock ring, or a split-lock ring.

Abstract: Systems and methods of operating a test apparatus to simulate testing a production aircraft component include assembling a test assembly having a test specimen and a wear protection material disposed on opposing sides of the test specimen, an outer plate disposed on each side of the test specimen in contact with the wear protection material, and a bolt disposed through the test specimen and the outer plates and applying a preload against the wear protection material. The test assembly is secured in a test machine, and the test machine is operated to provide a predetermined displacement of the test specimen relative to the outer plates at a predetermined frequency at a determined frequency of displacement cycles. The preload, the predetermined displacement, and the predetermined frequency of displacement cycles are determined through finite element analysis of an analytical model of the production component.

Abstract: An articulating armrest includes a first protrusion and a second protrusion that protrude from a member a predetermined spacing apart. Each protrusion aligns within a separate track within a housing configured for stowing the armrest within a seat back. The two tracks include straight and curved portions configured to articulate the armrest. Specifically, the armrest moves along a curvilinear path between stowed and deployed positions by translating along the tracks and pivoting about the second protrusion. The armrest may stow in a seat back and beneath the seat bottom to provide a full length armrest when deployed, and the armrest may stow flush with the seat back for sitting against. Mechanical tension may be provided to automatically deploy the armrest, and a rotational damper and a gas spring may be used to control the speed at which the armrest deploys.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for producing a reinforcing structure, which comprises a fiber-reinforced strip having a thermoplastic material, onto a molded body surface. The device is characterized in that emission direction vectors of at least two laser diodes of a laser diode array are aligned in a non-parallel manner to one another and are directed toward one another in the direction of a heating surface of the strip and/or the molded body surface.